Federal lands interim committee meets Oct. 28

If you’re interested in preserving Idaho’s federal public lands, be aware that a state committee looking to take over the lands will meet at 9 a.m., Oct. 28, at the Statehouse.

The Idaho Legislature’s Public Lands Interim Committee will take comments from tribal, conservation, sportsmen, timber, ranching and congressional representatives during the all-day meeting.

If you cherish your federal public lands, you will recall that the 2013 Idaho Legislature demanded that the federal government cede all 32 million acres of its public lands to the state and established an interim committee to evaluate the idea.

The meeting will be the Capitol Building’s East Wing (Room EW 42).

It’s important to let committee members know how you feel about the misguided land grab planned by the state. The state can’t afford to manage federal land and that could lead to the sell off of lands to private interests – the lands we have long used for hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.